The role of muscle loss in the age-related decline of grip strength: cross-sectional and longtitudinal perspectives
Article Abstract:
Some studies suggest that the decline in strength with age is associated with a decrease in muscle mass in older persons. The factors affecting the changes in strength with increasing age were assessed in 847 healthy subjects, aged 20 to 100 years. Grip strength and muscle mass, as indicated by forearm circumference and excretion of creatinine, a component of muscle, were measured over a nine-year period. The results showed that grip strength increased into the thirties and rapidly declined after 40 years of age. However, grip strength did not decrease over the nine-year study in 48 percent of subjects under 40 years of age, 29 percent of subjects aged 40 to 59 years, and 15 percent of subjects over 60 years of age. Grip strength correlated more with age than with muscle mass. Results also showed that younger subjects are stronger and older subjects weaker than expected based on muscle mass. Thus, the decline in strength with age may result in part from a decrease in muscle mass, but other unidentified factors also contribute to the loss of strength associated with aging. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1990
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
The difference in stiffness of the active plantarflexors between young and elderly human females
Article Abstract:
The stiffness of the active plantarflexors in young and elderly human females was compared before and after a six-week strengthening exercise program by analyzing the relation of stiffness with pre-stretch torque (K/PST). Results showed that the elderly had a steeper K/PST slope showing greater stiffness with an increase in pre-stretch torque. Plantarflexors after the strengthening exercise program showed an increase in maximum produced torque with a decrease in stiffness and K/PST slope.
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1993
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Transient normalization of lymphocyte blastogenic and specific antibody responses following boosting of healthy elderly subjects with tetanus toxoid
Article Abstract:
The cell-mediated immunity of the elderly wasevaluated based on the immunologic response to tetanus toxoid before and after boosting. Twentythree healthy elderly subjects showed a diminished blastogenic responses to mitogens compared with the control group of 23 healthy young individuals. However, the elderly group showed comparable but unsustained blastogenic responses to mitogens with the control group following tetanus toxoid boosting.
Publication Name: Journals of Gerontology
Subject: Seniors
ISSN: 0022-1422
Year: 1993
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
- Abstracts: A role for stem cell biology in the physiological and pathological aspects of aging. Telomere biology in aging and Cancer
- Abstracts: Relationship between age and aspects of depression: Consistency and reliability across two longitudinal studies
- Abstracts: The implications of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome for gerontology research and geriatric medicine. Functional disability of elderly patients with long-term coronary heart disease: a sex-stratified analysis